INFORMATION IS POWER (CASE STUDY)

Soon after her appointment to head a state agency, the new commissioner began her first budget

round. She had been appointed to bring her corporate experience, technical expertise, and well-

respected financial savvy to agency operations. To identify trends and improve efficiency and

accuracy, she wanted to see analyses of her agency's current operations, projections, and

forecasts on the revenue her agency will generate through charges and fees. Not wanting to

duplicate data collection and analysis, she sent a memorandum to the budget director requesting

this information.

The new commissioner was surprised when the budget director responded that the information

was not available. Some weeks later, the commissioner learned that rough forecasts are routinely

prepared and that the budget office had available, online from the comptroller, monthly data on

revenues by agency.

The commissioner decided to get the needed information by meeting personally with the budget

director. At their meeting, the commissioner requested the information again, explaining that she

wanted it in order to better prepare her agency's budget. The budget director admitted he did

have some of the data she wanted, but he refused to share it with her. He explained that

anticipating higher revenues would only feed program expansion in her agency. The way he saw

it, "your job is to advocate spending, while mine is to conserve state revenue."

What Do You Think?

1. What is the problem here?

2. Why do you think the budget director said no? Does the reason he gave make sense to

you?

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3. Why do you suppose the commissioner would want revenue information to prepare the

budget request?

4. What are the implications of this case for transparency and accountability?

5. In what ways does this case illustrate the politics of budgeting?